Check-rower



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Patented July 7,1891..

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J. C. BARLOW.

CHECK ROWER.

No. 455,380. Patented July '7, 1891.

ing different phases ot UNITED STATES`4 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH C. BARLOVV, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

CHECK- RWER.

SPECIFICATION' forming part. of Letters Patent o. 455,380, dated July'7, 1891.

Application iled February 25, 1891. Serial No. 382,739. (No model.) l

To all whom, it may concer-1t.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. BARLow, ot Quincy, in the countyof Adamsand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Anchors for Check-Bowers; and I do hereby declare the following tobe-a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghadA to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ot' thisspecification, and tothe figures ot` reference marked thereon.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in that class of anchor devicesfor check-row cords or wires for which Letters Patent N o. 373,170 weregranted to me November l5, 1887;

and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the partsdesigned to simplify and improve the device and render it more efficientin action.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the improved anchor inperspective as set for start-ing the check-rower. Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the anchor upon the return or approach of the check-rower.Fig. 3 is a side elevation with straight lever. Figs. 4, 5, and G aretop plan views illustratadjustment or motion.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

As in mypriorpatented device, this anchor is furnished with ananchor-pin 1, a base or frame 2, a handle or lever 3 for setting theanchor and putting tension on the cord or wire, a foot-piece 4. to aidin inserting the anchor-pin, a holding and releasing device 5 forengaging the check-row cord or wire, and a tension device G, operating,when the holding device is released, to permit of the extension of thecord or wire to accommodate the lateral adjustment of the planter on itsreturn movement. lVhile all of these elements, abstractly considered,are found in my improved anchor, they are constructed, arranged, andcombined in a somewhat different manner, as will presently appear. Theframe or head 2, with its foot-piece 4, is clamped upon the end or headof the anchor-pin 1 in the same or an equivalent manner to thatdescribed in my said prior patent; but the handle or lever 3, instead ofbeing rigidly secured to the head 2, is pivotally attached thereto by atransverse bolt or pivot-pin 7. A shoulder or stop 8, engaging thecasting or head 9 of the lever,

serves to restrain the movement. of the latter in one directiomwhilepermitting it to move in the opposite direction or away from saidshoulder.

The lever 3 is maintained inA an upright position and against the stopor shoulder-8 by the yielding tension device 6, which may be constructedand applied as `follows: The head 9, which for `convenience is formed intwo longitudinal sections, carries a vertical pin or guide 10, clampedor otherwise properly secured in an olset or projection 1l. A spring 12,encircling this pin, engages the oftset 11, while its outer or upper endbears against a cross-piece 13, fitted to slide on the pin 10 andconnected t-o a yoke or stirrup 14, whose oppositeend or cross-barengages a lip 15 on the head 9 below the oitset 11. The spring 12 iscompressed between the oitset l1 and cross-piece 13, and serves to holdthe lever against its stop S, at the same time permitting the lever toyield to pressure applied in a direction to force it away from saidstop. The lever 3 is secured at its lower end by being clamped betweenthe sections of the head or casting 9, and its upper port-ion is bent orcurved rearwardly, substantially as shown, so*

that its outer or free end will be projected in a plane diagonal to the.plane of the axis or pivot 7, for a purpose to be explained. Theslotted hook 14X or equivalent device for receiving and holding thecheck-row cord or wire, is pivotally attached to a collar or fer--v rule15X, tted loosely, upon the lever 3, and said collar is provided with anoffset or projection 1G for engaging a catch 17 on the head 9 ot' thelever when the collar is swung to one side, said catch serving torestrain the collar and prevent it traveling upon the lever until by thelateral motion of the hook the projection l0 is withdrawn from thecatch.

The operation and mode of applying Vor usso as to slide freely ing theimproved anchor are as follows: The

check row cord or wire is extended across the field, and one end isattached to the hook 14X, as by inserting one ot' the knots orprotuberant portions between the jaws of the hook, the opposite end ofthe cord or wire being properly anchored at the opposite side ot' theiield. The anchor is employed as a lever to draw the cord or wire tautand place the requisite ten- IOO sion upon it, to which end the lever isinclined 'to advance the anchor-pin, and the point ot the latter isinserted in the ground, when,by straightening up the lever, the hookwill be drawn back and the wire or cord stretched. The upper end oftheleveris made to project rearwardly or Vaway from the cord, so that insetting the anchor (which is done by iirst drawing the cord taut, asexplained, and then forcing the anchor-pin into the ground) it will beswung around with the handle in line with the cord or wire to insure theproper adjustment of the parts-that is to say, to bring the collar orferrule to which the hook is secured in engagement with the catch 17 andto locate the pivot 7 at an angle to the cord or wire-so that the pla-neof motion of the lever upon its pivot will intersect the ldirection ofmotion or line of travel of the planter upon its return trip. It willthus be seen that in the 'act of setting the anchor it is automaticallyadjusted to position, the pressure brought to bear upon the lever indrawing the cord or wire servin g to rotate the anchor until the leveris brought into line with the cord or Wire, when all the parts are inproper adjustment for operation. The anchor having been properly'located and secured in position,with the check-row cord or wire fast inthe hook, the planter is advanced in a path parallel with the check-rowcord or wire and in a direction away from the anchor, which serves tohold the cord or wire in opposition to the drag of the check-rowmechanism operated thereby. Under ordinary circumstances the springwillbe sufficient to prevent motion of the lever and hold the end of thecord or wire in fixed position, but will permit it to yield to a limitedextent in case of obstruction in the passage seeding mechanism, therebypreventing sudden and violent shocks. It is during and near thetermination of the movement of the planter in the oppositedirection-that is, when approaching the anchorF-that the yielding of thepoint of attachment of the cord or wire is effected, so as toaccommodate the new position of the planter and at the same time retaintension upon the cord or wire, and this is accomplished in the followingmanner: The return movement of the planter takes place on a linesubstantially parallel with its forward movement, but to one side of theanchor. The anchor having been set so that the plane of motion of thelever will intersect the path to` be traversed by the planter, as thelatter approaches the anchor the collar 15X will be partiallyrotatedaboutthe lever and finally withdrawn from catch 17 by reason ofthe lateral deflection of the cord or wire attached to the hook. Thecontinued approach of the planter brings the cord or wireinto the planeof motion ofthe lever upon its pivot, and the said lever is drawnforward or toward the planter against the resistance of the spring,thereby permitting the collar, with its attached hook, to ride up on thelever of the cord or wire through the.

and advance toward the planter, producing the effect 'of an elongationof the check-row cord or wire at its point of attachment to the anchor,thereby automatically accommodating said cord or wire to the changedposition of the planter, without, however, entirely relaxing thetension. It is in this connect-ion that the curved form of theleveragain comes into play to perform another and additional operation-thatis to say, preventing the too sudden release of theNend of the cord orwire. If a straight bar or lever the collar to travel upon, it wouldhave to be moved through but a short arc before the collar would, owingto increased leverage, draw the lever down to a horizontal position,thereby quickly eecting the extension and as rapidly diminishing thetension on the cord or wire; but by inclining or curving the upper wereemployed for portion of the lever backward or away from 1 the planterthe collar is' prevented from racing toward the end of the lever, and isdrawn gradually out toward the planter as the latter approaches, therebymaintaining the tension on the check-row cord or wire and permitting theteam to come up to and partly pass the anchor, as though the wire orcord lay in a straight line ahead of the planter.

It is obvious that a straightbar or lever may be employed in place ofthe curved lever to serve as a guide for the hook, though it will notpossess allthe advantages ot' the curved form.

In Fig. 3 the straight, form'of lever is shown.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new isl. An anchorsuch as described, provided with a base having means for attaching it tothe ground, a rod flexibly connected to said base and held retractedunder yieldingpressure, and a hook or holder for the check-row cord orwire, mounted to move longitudinally of the rod as the latter is drawnforward against the resistance of the yielding pressure device,substantially as described.

2. An anchor such as described, comprising a base or support, a rodhinged to said base and held retracted by spring-pressure, a collarmovable longitudinally of said rod and provided with means for attachingthe checkrow cord or wire, and a catch engaging said collar to restrainits movement upon the rod until released, substantially as described.

3. An anchor such as described,consisting of a base for attachment totheground, a lever pivotally attached to the base and provided with aretracting-spring, said lever being bent or curved rearwardly at itsupper end, a collar movable longitudinally of said rod and capable oflateral motion also, a clamp orholder for the check-row cord or wireattached to said collar, and a catch engaging the collar to .prevent itsmovement longitudinally of the rod until released by the lateralmovement of the collar, substantially as described. 4. ln an anchor suchas described,the com yss bnation, with the anchor-pin, of the uprightlever pivoted thereto, a tension-spring connected to said lever, and acollar mounted to travel on said lever and carrying Vthe cord clamporhook, substantially as described.

5. In an anchor such as described,the combination,with the base andanchorpin,'of the .upright curved lever pivoted to the base on an axisdiagonal to the plane of the lever, a

retracting-spring engaging the lever, and a collar or slide mounted totravel on the lever and providedwitll means for attaching the check-rowcord or wire, substantially as described.

kt. In an anchor such as described, the coinbination,with the base andanchor-pin, of the upright lever pivoted to said base and having itsupper end curved or bent `rearwardly in aplanediagonal to the plane ofits movementon its pivot, and a collar mounted to reciprocate and turnupon said lever and p rovided with a hook or clamp, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an anchor such as described,tl1e combinationvith the base orsupport, of the lever pivoted thereto and provided with a traveling cordclampor hook, and a spring engaging the head of the lever and connectedto the base for retractin g said lever, substantially as described. Y Y

8. In anV anchor such as described, the combination, with lthe base orsupport, o fa lever pivoted thereto and provided with aretracting-spring and a catch near thc pivot, a collar mounted on thelever. and engaging said catoh,"and a clamp or hook forthe check-rowcord-or wire, connected to the collar and operating when the cord orWire is deflected to disengage the collar from the `catch and permit itto travel longitudinally of the lever, substantially as described.

` 9. In an anchor such asdescribed, andvin combination with the base orsupport provided bent` portion of the lever, but releasing the collarwhen the hook or clamp is drawn to one side toward the plane of motionof the lever upon its pivot, substantially as described.

l0. The combination, with the base or support carrying the anchor-pin,and lthe lever pivoted thereto, ofthe yoke engaging the base,

.and the spring interposed between the head of the lever and said yoke,substantially as described. f

ll.`In combination with the base or support, the lever provided with asectional head or casting, the pinv clamped between said sections, thespring encircling said pin and 'engaging the head of the lever, and theyoke pivotally attached to the base and carrying a stan'tially asVdescribed.

l2. In combination with the base or support,

Vor clamp is held in line with the curved or yplate or cross-headengaging the spring, subthe lever provided with a head or castingpivotally attached to the base land having a catch or projection, andthe collar movable upon the lever and adaptedto enga-ge the catch on thelever-head, substantially as described.

L. B. BosWELL, W. J. H. KAPPE.

